Macron says France will keep troops in Iraq to contain terrorism

Speaking at a regional summit in Iraq, French President Emmanuel Macron said his country would continue to deploy troops there to battle terrorism even if the US were to withdraw. The comments come in the wake of a deadly attack claimed by the Islamic State in Afghanistan, a country which has come under Taliban control.

French President Emmanuel Macron speaks during a joint press conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi in Baghdad, 28 August 2021. VIA REUTERS - IRAQI PM MEDIA OFFICE

"Given the geopolitical events, this conference has taken a special turn," Macron said at the summit convened by Iraq as it seeks to play the role of regional mediator.

"No matter what choices the Americans make, we will maintain our presence in Iraq to fight against terrorism," Macron told a news conference in Baghdad.

"We all know that we must not lower our guard, because Daesh (the Islamic State group) remains a threat, and I know that the fight against these terrorist groups is a priority of your government," Macron said earlier after a meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi.

"Fighting against terrorism, supporting structured regional projects and responding to challenges in the Middle East can only be done together," Macron wrote on Twitter.

"The Baghdad conference is historique. It's already a success in itself, a new form of cooperation is born."

Lutter contre le terrorisme, porter des projets régionaux structurants et de vraies réponses aux défis du Moyen-Orient. Tout cela, on ne peut le faire qu’ensemble. La Conférence de Bagdad est historique. Elle est déjà une victoire en soi. Une coopération nouvelle est née. pic.twitter.com/aOT8PfFXMW

— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) August 28, 2021

The French president considers Iraq "essential" to stability in the Middle East.

"We refuse that Iraq be used as the stage for regional or international conflicts," Macron said.

France currently provides military support to Iraq, in particular airforce, with 800 soldiers deployed as part of a US-led international coalition against the Islamic State extremists.

In July, President Joe Biden said US combat operations in Iraq would end this year, but that US soldiers would continue to train, advise and support the country's military in the fight against IS.

Washington currently has 2,500 troops deployed to Iraq.

Key partners

Iraq and France are "key partners in the war against terrorism", Kadhemi replied.

The meeting comes as Iraq, long a casualty of jihadist militancy, also tries to establish itself as a mediator between Arab countries and Iran.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Jordan's King Abdullah II flew in for the summit, also attended by the foreign ministers of regional foes Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, Dubai's ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, Kuwait's Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah and Turkey's foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu also took part.

France's president Emmanuel Macron (third from left) poses with other leaders at a regional meeting in Baghdad, 28 August 2021 Ludovic MARIN POOL/AFP

Oil-rich Iraq has been caught for years in a delicate balancing act between its two main allies, Iran and the United States.

Iran exerts major clout in Iraq through allied armed groups within the Hashed al-Shaabi, a powerful state-sponsored paramilitary network.

Baghdad has been brokering talks since April between US ally Riyadh and Tehran on mending ties severed in 2016.

"It was really not easy to put the Saudis and Iranians in the same room," a French diplomatic source said.

But an adviser to Kadhemi said that just the presence of the two foreign ministers together was itself a "success".

The summit comes shortly after the Islamic State (IS) group affiliate claimed Thursday's suicide bombing in Kabul that killed scores of people, including 13 US service members.

The blast came during the final days of US-led evacuations from Afghanistan after the Taliban's lightning takeover.

The attack has revived concerns that the extremist organisation, which seized swathes of Syria and Iraq before being routed from both countries, is emerging anew, analysts said.

Talks with Taliban

While in Baghdad, Macron held separate talks with Qatar's emir on a possible role for Doha, which has good contacts with Taliban having hosted peace talks, in organising further evacuations beyond an 31 August deadline set by Washington, sources close to the president said.

The French leader told reporters that Paris was in talks with the Taliban through Qatar to "protect and repatriate" Afghans at risk.

Evacuations are planned jointly with Qatar and may involve "airlift operations", Macron said after the summit.

He added that France, which ended its evacuations from Afghanistan on Friday, had evacuated 2,834 people from there since 17 August.

Macron is due to visit the Iraqi city of Mosul on Sunday, the last bastion of the IS organisation before its fall in 2017 followed by Arbil, the capital of Iraq's northern Kurdistan region.